Who’s funding the Iona Institute?

Come on David Quinn spill the beans? Otherwise I expect Michael McDowell and Bertie Ahern to make similar statements querying the modus operandi of your new institute. This time last year they were busy sinking the Centre for Public Inquiry because they didn’t like money from outside Ireland funding a private body investigating the state and other matters. Surely this is a similar issue? Maman Poulet sets up a very comfy armchair and waits for McDowell to do the business.

And David how long do you think you’ll last in this job or is this a job you created for yourself? In the last few years you have worked for the Irish Catholic, The Irish Independent, you jumped to the Daily IRISH Mail, and then back to the Irish Independent.

There has been a lot of talk today in print and on the airwaves about the matters of two parent families etc. But I want to know where the money is coming from for your ‘research’ and as Patricia Casey is producing some of the first of it I’m sure it could be entered for the Booker prize for fiction.

You spent most of your interview with Matt Cooper on Today FM tonight quoting ‘international’ research – ah yes we can all find international research when we want to and make it sound important. And then you said we needed Irish research. If the christian fundamentalist right in the USA are funding the Iona Institute then it won’t be long till the Institute is telling us that lesbians die younger and gay men can’t teach children.

(Maman Poulet is pleased to bring her readers the return of David Quinn watch – for some previous examples see here, here and here – all contributions are welcome in the comments and by email. Oh yes we still need a nickname for him – Myers has one and I call John Waters several things but what should I call Quinn – maybe Gis a Job …?)

Simon – Harney spent some time commenting on CPI and external funding of private body which was investigating the state – remove the Connolly issue and she still had a problem with it – if the Iona Institute has external funding and is investigating the state and it’s support of marriage and other social institutions then I would like to hear the PD analysis of same.

I’m sure someone out there knows. Speaking of far-right Catholic loonies, I saw that those AOH nutters who attacked McDowell at that meeting[1] have a “Ireland’s Own”-style magazine, on sale in Easons Talbot Street at least.

are you confident that every lobby group you support would survive the scrutiny you call for here? I hope so as I agree with you that the source of funding for all political campaigns that there can’t be full enough disclosure of.

I am referring not only from foreign sources but from groups such as trade and students unions and business groups who do not ballot their members on the social or economic causes they champion/oppose or allow members to opt out of paying that portion of dues related to same.

Trade Unions, business groups and student unions vote in policies that officers act on. Member groupsing join and leaveall the time when they cannot support the policies voted in by the majority at AGM’s etc.

I believe that given the track record of ‘christian’ organisations in Ireland in receiving funding from abroad that one has to ask the same questions of Iona – the no divorce campaign and several pro life groups in Ireland were receiving funds from US groups – Irish activists have done speaking tours inthe USA campaigning for funds. The reluctance of Quinn to document where the funds for Iona are coming from can only bring further questions on where the agenda for this organisation is being set and supported. But no matter what the grouping is I do believe that they need to declare their interests and funders for the sake of transparency.

“I believe that given the track record of ‘christian’ organisations in Ireland in receiving funding from abroad ”

Who exactly and when?? And likewise, which pro-choice groups get funding from abroad? IFPA? Marie Stopes?

The agenda for the organisation is being set by its directors and patrons, capable people in their own right to set up an organisation to explore issues that interest them.
Pretending that’s it’s all some weird cult imported from some tellyevangelist from Alabama to specifically fund homosexual bashing is just silly – never mind delightfully bigoted against everyone who might disagree with you

They’ve declared that several Irish business people and ordinary people who they know have funded the institute – a long time in the making, no doubt.
Do you want the donors’ bank numbers?

For the last 25/30 years meaningful public debate in Ireland has been strangled by a media in thrall to a lunatic ideology, best described as reactionary liberal/feminist fundamentalism. An ideology which makes the taliban seem positively progressive. Thankfully David Quinn & the Iona Institute have introduced an element of rationality to the debate.

Strange that a Catholic Lobby Group should have such difficulties telling the truth. More ” cute hoorism’ Irish Style.
Public debate is a new thing in ireland, Eric. Thirty years ago they wouldn’t print it. Thats how we got to be mired in ignorance. We now know better. Are ALL our Irish institutions offside?